Basketball Idiot
by AzurePhoenixWolf
Summary: This is for the Endless Reflection Challenge. Sitting in an uncomfortable hospital, Heero ponders why Duo kept asking him to play basketball. Slight 1x2


I am idiot. A big one at that. Not the kind that have failing grades or trouble with paperwork, but rather the kind with the emotional difficulties. And sitting here in the dark room, listening to shallow breathing-both his and mine-and his heart monitor, I realize just how big of an idiot I am.

* * *

It all started after the Eve Wars. Duo and I joined the Preventers, as well as Wufei; Quatre took over his father's business with Trowa as his bodyguard-he does "odd" jobs for the Preventers once in a while. Duo and I became partners; Wufei took the job of training the newbies. Duo said it was because he wanted to be the "top dog" and scare the living hell out of them. I thought it was because he wanted the "greenies" to fight with honor, be brave, and, most importantly, learn not to get their comrades killed.

Since day one, Duo had been bugging to play basketball with him. Every. Single. Day.

For _thirteen_ years!

If he was on a mission without me (it happens when Lady Une does not want to antagonize my injuries, the only times she and Duo agree on _any_ thing) or vice versa then he would call and text me to if I would play a game with him when he arrives back. I had always said no. He always tried to convice me to play basketball by saying we needed some "pal time" to "strengthen our bond as partners" since we have to work together and I have to get myself "out of my turtleshell." After his rant I told him to shut up and get back to work, he huffed his cheeks, but did as I said. That was our daily lives. I didn't know why he wanted to play basketball with me so bad. He had other people who wanted to talk and spend time with him.

Damn Duo. He has-always had- too influence on me. I have stopped calling the pilots by their last name all the time now because of him. He's the reason I'm writing the way I do. I learned when we first started to work together as partners in the Preventers that he had trouble with reading my reports. When I confronted him about it after the third time he messed up he told that he could not read my reports well because they were "too wordy." He talked about how back on L-2 he did not go to school often, so he was already behind than the other students, how Professor G taught him the basics so he would know what to do for missions, and how he could not find time to catch up to me or the other pilots in English. I covered his mouth with my hand, ordering him to be quiet, to come to me or the other pilots if he ever a problem, before promising not to make my reports "too wordy" anymore. He smiled.

I wish he was smiling now.

...I'm the reason he's in the hospital, unconscious with a broken leg, several deep lacerations, and bruised ribs. The doctors said that he was lucky that he did not have any serious injuries, though they have to check to see if he has a concussion when he wakes. That day I snapped at him, right before the mission. We were in the locker room, preparing for the mission-to arrest a group of terrorists that had located three days before. They were highly dangerous with at a dozen types of bombs. Duo came up to me, asking for the umptheeth time if I wanted to play basketball when the mission was complete. I yelled at him, shouting at him to leave me alone and _stop_ asking me that question, for I had already told him no. I knew right away I had harm him emotionally, even if he did not show it. Duo smiled at me, one that did not reached his violet eyes, apologized before finishing getting ready for the mission.

At the warehouse, the suspects were waiting for us. A mole leaked the information. They rigged the building with explosives, and Duo, who was still upset from me yelling at him, barely made it out in time. The terrorists managed to escape.

* * *

I sigh. That seems so long ago. I look at my watch- Preventers-issue- to see that it is twenty minutes past four in the morning; that day was yesertday. I have been in the hospital for over eight hours, waiting for Duo to wake up so I can apologize. The events from the past day are catching up to me as I feel sleep tug at my eyes.

I wake to see his smiling violet eyes. I jump and he laughs, a merry sound similar to bells. He smirks. I look down.

"I am sorry." I say, before anything can come from him, looking at the white tiles of his temporary room. His eyesbrow raises.

"For what?" he asks. His gaze hold something I'm not familiar with; no doubt Winner will know if he was here.

"For upsetting you before a mission. It is because of me that you could not focus, which resulted you getting injuried."

"'Ro, I'm not mad at you." he yawns. "But if you want to make it up to me then play me a game of basketball!"

Now it's my turn to lift my eyebrow. "Why are you so...obsess with playing that childish game?"

He gasps, his eyes wide. "It's not childish! It's fun! Don't cha remember when we play on the same team during our time at that rich kids school? I had so much fun playing with you! And you love it as well. You were smiling when we won!"

"Maxwell, I did not smiled."

"Your eyes were smile, duh. It felt so nice to play sport with my best buddy, to pretend to be an average teenager, because there's no such thing as _normal_. We didn't have to worry anything, but the game at the moment. I want to play it again with you, but during the wars we never had time so I thought we could play it now that we're in the Preventers. We have free time now. I really like to spend time with you. I like you a lot, ya know? I think that was my favorite part of the war."

A shadow appear in the corner of my eye and soft, light sound is making its way towards us. Duo does not seem to notice as he continues to rant, a soft smile on his lips, his cheeks rosy- most likely from saying he likes me.

I sigh again. "I like you too." He gasps. "And I'm willing to play a game with you too. It was fun, actually. I will play you on one condition."

He looks like a child who was told Christmas is coming early. "Anything! What's it?" he asks, bouncing on the bed.

The door busts open to reveal the doctor who's taking care of Duo at the moment, the owner of the soft, light footsteps I heard earlier. "You have to behave for the doctor."

Like a child he's truly, Duo pouts and nods.


End file.
